On 29 December last year, two investigators from the Oslo police district came to Halden prison. The assignment was to interrogate the convicted Russian citizen who was arrested on the border with Norway a few days before Christmas Eve.
The matter they wanted to question him about was the terrorist act that was committed on the night of 25 June in the capital last year. Two men were shot dead by the extreme Islamist Zaniar Matapour, who is charged with murder, attempted murder and acts of terrorism.
According to Nettavisen’s information, the Russian citizen has provisional status as a witness in the case.
Also read: Sources for Nettavisen: Arfan Bhatti wanted for the terrorist attack in Oslo
Contacted by the police after terror
Shortly after the terrorist attack, the Oslo police and the Police Security Service (PST) worked hard to map the network around the extremist Islamist Arfan Bhatti. One of these people who was contacted was the 22-year-old Russian citizen convicted of bombing. Information Nettavisen has received is that the 22-year-old was in Ingushetia when the attack occurred, but that he was contacted by the police in Norway.
PST has previously stated that they consider the 25 June attack to be an extreme Islamist terrorist act.
Also read: This is the terrorist accused murderer
Bhatti is charged with several matters, including complicity in a serious act of terrorism, but has, according to Aftenposten explained to Pakistani police that he has nothing to do with the case.
Bhatti is also charged with having entered into a terrorist association, complicity in murder, complicity in attempted murder and for having entered into a conspiracy to murder.
Also read: Russian citizen convicted of bombing wants to stay in Norway – claims he was strangled and subjected to torture in Russia after deportation
In questioning, according to Nettavisen’s information, the Russian citizen must have explained that he did not know about the terrorist attack until he read about it in the media. He is also said to have been asked about his knowledge of all four accused in the case, including Matapour and Bhatti.
The Oslo police have received a number of questions from Nettavisen.
“The police cannot comment on details of the investigation due to the nature of the case”writes police attorney Ingvild Myrold in an email to Nettavisen that was forwarded by communications advisor Siv Alsén.
Also read: PST found a picture of the accused Russian citizen posing with a weapon
– Religion is important to Bhatti
According to Nettavisen’s information, the 22-year-old has explained that he knows Matapour and that they met at the Rabita mosque in Calmeyers gate in the middle of Oslo city centre. It is unknown to Nettavisen what the mosque meetings have consisted of beyond prayer. To the police officers, the Russian describes Matapour as a calm and quiet man.
He also explained that he knew Matapour was in a dangerous environment with Bhatti.
– It is true that he (the Russian citizen, editor’s note) has been asked about my client. But what has been said about it I cannot say. Now the investigation will continue and I have to wait for it, and therefore cannot make any further comments at this time, says defense attorney for Matapour, Marius Dietrichson, to Nettavisen.
Also read: The Oslo shooting: Dramatic images from inside the London Pub: – They shouted “lay down, lay down”
Also read: The PST chief of Nettavisen: Zaniar Matapour has been an IS sympathizer
In questioning with the police, the 22-year-old also says that he learned religion from Bhatti in 2017 and that they met in the mosque, and that religion must have been important to Bhatti. According to Nettavisen’s information, the Russian citizen has also explained that he hopes that Bhatti has nothing to do with the terrorist act.
Bhatti is also said to have given the Russian a sum of money of a few thousand kroner back in time.
Bhatti’s lawyer, Svein Holden, does not want to comment on the information. Nor does the Russian’s lawyer, Javeed H. Shah, want to comment.
SE VIDEO: Here the terrorist is arrested
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PST: Part of Bhatti’s inner circle
The 22-year-old Russian citizen was arrested with a homemade bomb in April 2017 when he was 17 himself. In 2018, he was finally sentenced in the Supreme Court to a ten-month suspended prison sentence for handling explosives. PST’s investigations also showed that the bomb device had a limited damage potential.
In 2019, he was expelled from Norway after PST had established that he posed a threat to the security of the kingdom. In a previous secret threat assessment of the 22-year-old, which is from 26 September 2019, it appears that the security service believes the Russian had been radicalized by the extreme Islamist environment in Eastern Norway.
Also read: Arfan Bhatti caught with a knife in a car with the killer Zaniar Matapour – the police drop the case
He is also said to have been observed several times with Bhatti in 2018. PST believes that the Russian citizen became part of Bhatti’s inner circle and that he gained recognition in the extreme Islamist community after the criminal case.
PST’s counter-terrorism chief, Arne Christian Haugstøyl, also testified to this when the 22-year-old sued the state to have the deportation against him stopped in 2019.
PST report: Requested information on acts of terrorism
In the threat assessment of the 22-year-old from 2018, to which Nettavisen has access, it appears that PST believed that he was radicalized and had a mindset that suggests that he supports the use of violence to achieve political goals.
The report states, among other things:
“PST considers it likely that in the future he will commit similar acts for which he was arrested on 8 April 2017, and that there is thus a risk of repetition and a future-oriented concern. It is also considered likely that any plans will be able to be updated (…).
As Norway is seen as XX’s enemy, the deportation decision may contribute to further radicalizing him, and increase his motivation to commit a terrorist act.”
Also read: The accused 17-year-old searched for “Islamic State” over 200 times on the internet
It also appears from the report that the 22-year-old sought out information that could be linked to the terrorist organization Islamic State (IS) and extreme Islamism in the weeks before he was caught with the bomb in Greenland in 2017.
“He participated in several groups where ISIL-related material and information about terrorist acts were shared”it continues.
It is not known to Nettavisen whether there is an updated threat assessment of the Russian citizen. According to Nettavisen’s information, he also explained to the police during the interrogation in December that he was no longer religious.
In mid-February, Nettavisen sent a number of questions to PST, but they have not yet had the opportunity to answer them.
